Senna beat Mansell by 0.014 seconds at Jerez in one of the closest finishes in Formula One history.
Key Facts
- Winning margin
- 0.014 seconds
- Race date
- 13 April 1986
- Rank in closest F1 finishes
- Third-closest in Formula One history
- Mansell's late charge
- Made up over 19 seconds in the final 10 laps
- First Spanish GP since
- 1981 race at Jarama
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following a five-year absence from the Formula One calendar, the Spanish Grand Prix returned at the Jerez circuit in 1986. Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and reigning champion Alain Prost engaged in a three-way fight for the lead across the latter half of the race, setting up a dramatic finale.
Mansell pitted for fresh tyres late in the race and rapidly closed a large deficit, pulling alongside Senna on the final straight. The two drivers crossed the finish line nearly side by side, with Senna taking victory by just 0.014 seconds — the third-closest finish in Formula One history at that time.
The result was celebrated as one of the most dramatic conclusions in Formula One history. Mansell graciously acknowledged Senna's right to defend his lead, and the tiny margin prompted Mansell's lighthearted suggestion that both drivers share the points equally between first and second place.